Bayhealth Completes Community Health Needs Assessment

Bayhealth has completed its latest Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), a comprehensive process conducted every three years to identify the most pressing health needs of the communities we serve. More than 4,000 residents across Kent and Sussex counties contributed through survey responses that are now guiding Bayhealth’s Community Outreach team’s next steps in improving community health.

As part of this work, Bayhealth created the CHNA survey in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole to ensure it was accessible to more members of our community. Our teams partnered with schools, churches, nonprofits, advocacy groups and grassroots organizations throughout Kent and Sussex counties to gather feedback from populations who are often underrepresented in traditional health assessments. These partnerships are helping build trust in communities with significant needs, ensuring every voice is respected and every perspective helps guide the work ahead.

Based on community input and analysis of state and national data, the CHNA identified five key health priority areas:

• Access to Healthcare Services — including clinician shortages, appointment challenges and barriers related to transportation and medical costs.
• Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder — rising demand for behavioral health support, concerns for youth mental health and the impact of bullying.
• Chronic Disease Prevention & Management — high rates of diabetes, hypertension, obesity and related conditions.
• Maternal & Child Health — Delaware’s infant mortality rate remains among the highest in the nation, with the greatest burden in Kent and Sussex Counties.
• Health Equity & Social Determinants of Health — including barriers related to income, education, housing and food insecurity, as well as reports of homelessness and difficult choices between essential expenses.

To ensure meaningful action, Bayhealth’s Community Outreach team developed a comprehensive Implementation Plan that brings together interdisciplinary teams from across the health system. This collaborative effort engages clinical leaders, operational leaders, community outreach, behavioral health, population health and external partners. The plan outlines targeted, measurable action steps that directly address the needs identified in the CHNA and strengthens the alignment between systemwide initiatives and the community’s most critical priorities. The finalized implementation plan is available on Bayhealth’s website.

“As a community-focused health system, we are listening closely to what our neighbors are telling us,” said Vice President of Marketing, Communications & Community Outreach Amanda Bowie. “This CHNA reinforces that our community’s needs go beyond clinical care — people need access, support and partners who will walk alongside them. We care deeply about this community, and we’re using this data to drive meaningful change.”

Bayhealth’s Community Outreach team will use these findings to guide sponsorships, partnerships and programs focused on addressing mental health, expanding access, improving maternal and child health outcomes, reducing chronic disease and tackling the root causes that influence overall well-being.
Visit Bayhealth.org/Community-Outreach to read the CHNA and implementation plan.